Mel Gibson to Face Off Against Oksana Grigorieva in Court #Custody Battle

Family Law shows up again on UDUAK LAW FIRM blog. It does intersect with fashion and entertainment law but in our case, I guess it is preparation for Ms. Unwam Oduok, Esq.’s input on the subject matter, my sister who is totally in love with that area of the law.

Actor Mel Gibson prepares for a showdown with his Ex-girlfriend  Oksana Grigorieva.

Here is what People Magazine reported on Tuesday.

Mel Gibson will make what is believed to be his first courtroom appearance in a custody dispute with ex-girlfriend Oksana Grigorieva over their 1-year-old daughter Lucia.

The closed-door hearing is set for Wednesday in Superior Court in Los Angeles.

Gibson, 54, and Grigorieva, 40, share custody of their daughter, with Gibson seeing her every other day and getting overnight visits.

For our purposes, here is the take away. If you are going through the family court system, the focus is the need to protect the interest of the child. The courts do that through a standard called “the child’s best interest.” So, as much as the paparazzi would love to go in and get all the scoop, it ain’t happening.

Current Custody Arrangements

  • Both Gibson and Grigorieva share custody of their daughter
  • Mel gets three days a week with one overnight stay per week/li>
  • Both parents have a say in how the daughter will be raised, her school, health etc.

How Does This Shake Out When the ‘Child’s Best Interest’ Test is Applied?
I have had my share of interactions with family courts, in my capacity as an attorney. What this means is that Oksana or Mel can challenge the current custody arrangements if they believe it is not in the best interest of their child.

Indeed that is what is happening. Oksana wants Gibson to get anger management because she believes that his anger issues will affect his parenting of their child. Mel’s ex-wife of whom he had seven (7) kids with signed a statement saying he is a good father and never abused his children.

Wishing Mel Gibson & Oksana a speedy and effective resolution of their Custody battle.

Cheers,
Uduak